Sunday, September 7, 2014

Humans and Bonsai, Remora and Sharks: Symbiotic Relationships

The concept of “survival of the fittest” has provided
pavement for the construction of our understanding of the natural world. From
zoo visits as a child to high school biology classes, this pessimistic view of
natural law has been pushed. The western world readily accepts “survival of the
fittest” as truth because it surrounds us so obviously in our human society.
Capitalism and the glorifying of competition make us inclined to this bleak
view of nature, since it is how we choose to govern ourselves.

However,
just as there are different economic systems, the biological world doesn’t
operate under a single policy. Symbiotic relationships demonstrate the variety
of ways it is possible to survive in the natural world, carried out in parallel
to the notion of “survival of the fittest”. Specifically, mutualistic symbiotic
relationships among different species prove that creatures can benefit from
each other’s existence without constantly competing against each other.

Humans and
bonsai trees illustrate a mutually beneficial relationship. Many people find
caring for bonsai trees meditative, and the practice become popularized as an
artistic hobby worldwide after Japan ended its cultural isolation in the late
1800’s. The plants are very delicate and require a great amount of physical and
emotional commitment, thus the plants couldn’t survive without the care of a
human. Transversely, humans find tending to a bonsai an emotionally rewarding
experience. In this relationship, the two species rely on each other for
physical or mental support.

Symbiotic
relationships are also common in the sea. Remora fish are “cleaners” who attach
to larger sea animals, commonly sharks, and eat the bacteria off of the larger
creatures body. Because the remora hangs onto the shark wherever it goes, the
fish gains protection against predators as well as a consistent source of food.
Sharks benefit from the remora’s presence because the cleaner keeps the shark
healthy by eating potentially disease-causing bacteria.

Cooperation
between species is equally as crucial as the concept of “survival of the
fittest”, although it’s nature is easily forgotten. The relationships shared by
the aforementioned species demonstrate mutualistic symbiotic relationships and
the dependence many creatures have on each other.